While his right headed for
the Judea Hills his left force adopted a defensive posture at Jaffa, newly
secured by the British. Allenby was nevertheless aware of the arrival
of General
Erich
von Falkenhayn's Yilderim Force, markedly strengthening the Turkish
lines from Jerusalem to the sea.

Falkenhayn lost little time
in launching attacks from his Seventh Army, succeeding in greatly slowing
Allenby's advance. It soon became apparent that Allenby would be
unable to secure Jerusalem's fall without first consolidating his
force. Both commanders had been specifically instructed of the
necessity to avoid fighting either in or immediately around the holy city
itself.

Having reinforced his front
line force Allenby assigned the task of capturing Jerusalem to XX Corps under fellow
cavalry officer
Sir
Philip Chetwode. Chetwode's attack consequently began on 8
December. The assault took two forms: a central thrust from
Nebi-Samweil - a commanding series of heights some 13km to the west; and a
secondary attack south at Bethlehem.

In the event the city fell
after a single day's fighting, with morale in the Turkish opposition having
plummeted in the face of continual British successes combined with the
failure of Turkish counterattacks. Sporadic fighting nevertheless
continued in the surrounding hills in the days following Jerusalem's fall.

Demonstrating a fine
political sensibility Allenby chose to make his understated entrance into the holy city
on foot on 11 December. (Click
here to view the city's decree of surrender.)

Falkenhayn mounted a
determined counter-attack on 26 December which was thrown back with heavy
Turkish losses. Allenby's overall campaign had incurred casualties of some
18,000 men set against 25,000 Turkish losses.

The loss of Jerusalem
constituted a grave setback to Ottoman prestige in the region and rendered
nought the effective potential of Falkenhayn's Yilderim Force.

With Allenby having secured
the British line from Jerusalem to the sea he had delivered upon British
Prime Minister
David
Lloyd-George's instruction to take Jerusalem by Christmas with weeks to
spare. News of its capture provided much welcome relief in Allied
capitals in Europe, offsetting less satisfying news from Russia,
Caporetto and
Cambrai.

In the wake of Allenby's
success the War Office in London postponed operations in Mesopotamia in
preparation for a renewed offensive in Palestine.

Click here to read Allenby's
account of the fall of Jerusalem.
Click here to read the
official Austro-German report on events which led to the fall of the city.
Click here to read a
historical overview of the city's fall, written by the secretary of the
British Palestine Society, E W G Masterman.
Click here to read Allenby's
official proclamation of marshal law.

Click here to view a map
detailing the fall of Jerusalem and other actions during 1917.